A MAN who was battered with a metal pole in a horrific street attack was arrested by police and thrown into the cells for 10 hours before treatment was sought.

Police have now admitted failing Dean Hutton who was left on life support after bungling cops treated him as a drunk.

Mr Hutton, now 26, was brutally attacked by brothers Brett and James Garbutt in August 2009 and will need life-long care.

He was hit with a metal scaffolding pole before his head was stamped on as he lay on the ground.

Paramedics checked him at the scene, but when police arrived and ran Dean's name through their database, they discovered he had missed a court appearance for a traffic offence and arrested him.

He was taken to a police station, where he was dismissed as drunk, and eventually taken to hospital after his condition deteriorated over 10 hours.

It emerged that he had a fractured skull and bleeding to his brain.

Dean, of Wath-upon-Dearne, South Yorks., was placed on a life support machine, and medics at one point considered switching it off.

His parents launched a fight for compensation to provide Dean with the rehabilitation treatment and life-long care he will need, and police chiefs initially denied responsibility.

But South Yorkshire Police have now admitted liability out of court after medical experts said that had Dean received medical treatment earlier, he would have made a full recovery.

There will be a compensation hearing at a later date to determine how much money the family should receive.

Stacy Clements, an expert serious injury lawyer at Irwin Mitchell, said: "Had the Police taken note of the fact that Mr Hutton had suffered a head injury and consequently recognised the symptoms he showed through the night, he would have received medical attention much sooner.

"Although Mr Hutton was assessed by a paramedic at the scene of the assault, the station's custody sergeant failed to take on board advice that he had suffered a head injury and did not seek further medical help when Mr Hutton's condition deteriorated.

"It was only 10 hours later, when he was struggling to breathe and had blood around his mouth that officers acted, rushing him to hospital."

Dean, pictured after the attack, has been left needing lifelong care [BEN LACK]

Dean was taken from Main Street police station in Rotherham to Rotherham District General Hospital.

He was then transferred to the Royal Hallamshire Hospital in Sheffield, where he underwent emergency surgery.

But by that point the damage was irreversible and he has been left with physical, cognitive and behavioural difficulties.

Following the incident, Brett and James Garbutt were found guilty of grievous bodily harm with intent at Sheffield Crown Court and were sentenced to seven years, five months and five years imprisonment respectively.

Ms Clements added: "The admission of liability now means we can concentrate on securing medical evidence to determine the level of treatment and rehabilitation Dean now needs as well as the care he will need for the rest of his life to help him live as independent a life as possible.

"We are now working to secure a full settlement which will then be managed by our Court of Protection team to ensure it can provide for Dean's lifetime needs."

Dean's dad Roy, 59, said he was bitter that police did not get the treatment he needed sooner.

He said: "He could have made a full recovery, which is the frustrating and disappointing part of this.

"By the time the police got him the treatment he needed, it was too late. He was on a life support machine which was breathing for him and he was unresponsive at first.

"The doctors talked about switching off his machine but we asked them to give him a chance and he did pull through, but he has been robbed of the future he could have had.

"Before his brain injury, Dean was completely independent but now needs help with almost everything he does.

"But Dean is battling back bravely and his rehabilitation has helped him come a long way.

"He is now attending college and we are just relieved that the Police have admitted responsibility, meaning we don't have to go to a full trial and that we should be able to access the care and rehabilitation Dean will need for the rest of his life.

"We are angry that Dean's injury was not accounted for and so dealt with by police officers sooner. We were thankful to the IPCC for investigating and hope that nothing like this is allowed to happen to others again.

"Nothing can change what happened but thankfully now we can begin to move on with our lives knowing that Dean's future will be secure."

An investigation by the IPCC found that the custody sergeant failed to complete an adequate risk assessment, and did not consider all of the information available to him when assessing Mr Hutton's condition.

South Yorkshire Police confirmed it had admitted responsibility for Mr Hutton's injuries.

A spokesman said: "Our thoughts remain with Mr Hutton, his family and friends. Our solicitors are in consultation with Mr Hutton's legal team."